What if Julie Died?
by DannyPhanto fan
Summary: What if Julie had died during the final battle against the highbreed? How would Ben handle it? What does Paradox have to do with it? If there anyway to reverse this?
1. Chapter 1

_**What If Julie Yamamoto Died?**_

_**Disclaimer: Although I would love to I do not own Ben 10 and/or Ben 10: Alien Force, or their characters and/or concepts. Those are copyrighted to MAN OF ACTION and Cartoon Network Studios. I do however own this plot and the wolf-alien.**_

_**Notes: Ben may seem OOC for the first part of this story but you've got to bear in mind that if someone loses a loved one it could send the survivor into a downward spiral of self-destruction. Add into it the fact that Ben tends to take responsibility for things not his fault and that with the Omnitrix on he walks the line between sanity and insanity every day that something like losing Julie or someone just as close (Grandpa gave him a mission before he 'died') may allow the aliens to influence his choices from there on out. Also, VENOM is a combination of two things; DC Comic Universe's Venom, as used by the villain Bane, and an theoretical mixture of most known Earth drugs. I went to such extremes in Ben's choice of drug because of his alien physiologies; plain old Earth drugs probably wouldn't even get him buzzed. And in my story Kevin used to use VENOM, during his Null Void days. He's been sober since he's been human and therefore knows what Ben has gotten himself into. Also I wrote this upon seeing the commercials for Ben 10: Alien Force episodes 26&27 "War of the Worlds" Parts one and two. When I finally saw the episode, I find I like my battle sequence much more called for considering how they've been fighting the Highbreed and DNAliens. **_

Ch 1

He clutched her cold form to his chest, rocking the shell that held no life. "I'm sorry, so sorry, so so sorry." It became his mantra. He murdered her, it was all his fault. How could he have been so blind as to allow her to help in the final battle? His enemies laid dead and dying, felled by his grief induced rage. His allies, bloody and beaten though still alive, gathered loosely around him. They had known to watch the normal human's back more than any other and so they all carried a lump of guilt. This was so wrong. He had worked so hard, so selflessly to protect the world and this was how the universe thanked him?

Kevin and Gwen cleared everyone out, with silent looks and muted thank yous, until only the original trio and Julie's corpse remained.

"Ben," Gwen started out quietly, hesitantly, "Ben, she's gone. It's okay now, she's not in pain anymore. You need to let her go; she's gone."

He bit back a sob and gently laid her down, soothing a lock of hair from her face. He stood up and backed away. He looked around to the battlefield they had created; "We need to clean up," his voice was emotionless, his eyes dead, and face blank, "the police will be here soon. Kevin, you still got that Null Void projector?"

The older boy nodded.

"Send the bodies to the Void, except hers and a Highbreed. Guys don't touch anything; especially you Kevin, your prints are already in CODIS. Gwen, can you make some manna clothes for you and Kevin?"

She nodded.

"Good, we all need to strip down; our clothes go to the Void too. Then I need you two to go back home, don't tell anyone. The police will question us; the story is we last saw her this morning at Mr. Smoothy's. We haven't seen or heard from her since. Understand?"

They nodded and quietly got to work.

An hour later the two took off. Ben turned to Big Chill and went to the nearby payphone and dialed 9-1-1. "911, what's your emergency?" a female voice said and he breathed harshly into the phone for a moment before crushing it, snapping the cord. Sparks flew as he took off. He phased through his window and transformed back to human, getting into his pajamas and climbing into bed, even though he knew no sleep would claim him. He just laid there in a near catatonic state until morning.

His mother roused him, her face sympathetic, "Honey, you don't have to go to school today." she told him gently.

"Why Mom? What happened?" he asked although he already knew. "Come into the living room." She said just as gently as before.

He did so to find two police officers waiting for him. One stuck out his hand. "Hello Mr. Tennyson, I'm officer Crockford. I am sorry to have to give you such terrible news this early in the morning. We found a Ms. Julie Yamamoto murdered last night, her parents informed us that you two were involved. Do you know…"

And so he answered their questions, playing his part perfectly. His alibi was that he was studying with his cousin over at her boyfriend's place all day.

The officers tipped their hats and offered their deepest sympathies and bid them goodbye. Ben ignored his parents as he trooped back to his room, locking the door and shutting the curtains before curling up into a little ball on his bed and finally letting forth his tears.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch 2

The hall quieted as he entered, his peers looking to him with sympathy or suspicion. His steps were steady as he hefted the bag on his shoulder and made his way to her locker, dialing in the combination and opening the locker calmly as he sat the bag at his feet.

He told her parents he would clean out her locker and so he did. He placed the textbooks at his feet; he would return them to the library later, before finding her diary. He carefully reverently placed it in the bag. He found a small photo album and paged through it making sure it didn't reveal anything her parents shouldn't know. It didn't. He would confiscate her journal. He placed out her already finished homework and decided to turn it in for her before they dropped her from the rolls.

So he gathered her stuff, shutting the locker and walking silently to his first class. He turned in her work, with a knowing nod from the teacher, and then he retreated to the back of the class and remained silent for the hour. He stared blankly ahead of him, his face a stony mask. He repeated this routine all day, only changing it at lunch when he bypassed eating, headed to the nearest Men's restroom, entered a stall, locked the door and sat down on the toilet, staring blankly at the dirty, damp floor.

He began skipping classes in a few days after that and soon stopped his schooling altogether. His parents rarely knew where he was at or what he was doing. One of the few times they actually saw him was at Julie's funeral. He was wearing dark shades, a black trench coat and the matching hat.

He lounged against a tree near her casket, his chin to his chest and eyes closed behind the shades, though he was ready to attack at any moment.

His father came over, "Benjamin, we need to talk."

"Go away Dad," he said firmly, "we've nothing to talk about and I'm low on energy right now."

"That's where you're wrong boy," Carl said.

Ben sighed, lifting his left wrist to glance at his watch, an actual watch; the sleeve fell back to reveal tract marks. Carl's eyes popped, "_**What are those?**_ _**Are you dong drugs?**_"

"Sure am," Ben replied nonchalantly, "though I'm sober right now."

"What drug? Heroin? Meth?"

The young man laughed harshly, "You forget Dad, I'm no longer human; my human heart is dead. Human drugs have no effect on me. I do a thing called VENOM, worst drug in the galaxy. Most humans never hear of it. No detoxer known."

Carl grabbed his arms and rolled up the sleeves, finding more tracts. "You dishonor her memory by doing such things!" he hissed furiously. Ben wrenched his limbs free, rage pouring off his very being as he hissed, "Let go of me you _**filthy**_ creature. She's only in that _**box**_ because she was trying to preserve your _**pathetic**_ species. What I do is my own business now; I don't owe you, this species, this planet or the universe anything anymore. I can and will overpower you now, so _**fuck off**_!"

He pulled his lip back into a vicious snarl, looking feral and crazy. He wasn't sane anymore; he wasn't Ben Tennyson anymore. He was a stranger to everyone who once knew him. He was gone.

Carl retreated, head bowed; it seemed that he was burying his son with Ms. Yamamoto today and it hurt accordingly.

Ben stayed where he was stationed; he would need to dose again soon if things didn't speed up. He knew the path he had embarked on was shameful and self-destructive but he couldn't bring himself to care anymore. He had fulfilled his duties honorably and look what that cost him, the love of his life.

Her casket was open, she seemed just asleep. Her robes were traditional white of Japanese funeral customs, her hands clasped together on her chest. The mortuary director had dusted her cheeks lightly with flush, her lips rosy. Already votives lined her final bed, gifts from friends and family. He had yet to leave his. But he pulled it from a pocket. The crystallized rose shimmered in the sun. He had unlocked Diamondhead, with aid from VENOM, and had formed his hand into the flower before detaching it. He stepped up to her and placed it between her hands. He cupped her cheek briefly, bending to tenderly kiss her before returning to his post.

He spotted Gwen and Kevin; his lips curled into a disgusted sneer, two hours late; bastards. Kevin spotted his comrade and went to join him, "VENOM?" he asked knowingly.

"What's it to you Levin?" Ben bit out.

"Nothing, how long has it been since you shot up?"

"Ten hours," Ben admitted, "I made a promise; I said I'd come here sober and I have."

"Very admirable," Kevin said impressed, "But you're gonna suffer withdraw symptoms."

"Already am," he leaned his head against the trunk.

"As soon as you start coughing blood you need to do it." Kevin spoke, "I got a bag of sterile syringes in the car…Hey, hey don't think that! I've been clean for years; they're for the aid kit, but you can have them."

"Thanks," Ben nodded. Kevin left him be. The older man returned to Gwen who looked furious, "You enabled him!" she accused.

"If I didn't he'd die. He's using VENOM…"

"Oh god…"

Kevin nodded, "If he doesn't continue using he'll die. He's sober right now."

"What can we do? How can we help him?"

"We can't," he replied sadly, "he needs to hit rock bottom before we can."

"When will that happen?"

"I don't know; it's different for different people. When I started I was pretty much at rock bottom Ben…Ben has had a pretty decent life; nice loving family, nice loving girlfriend and great friends. But now, that's mostly gone all because of his mistakes and so he blames himself and is trying to escape and/or punish himself…it could take months or years…hell he may not even survive this to hit bottom. He may just overdose soon."

Finally the priest arrived and the funeral began. Once her mother and father said a few words Ben was asked to speak. He came to the podium and wearily looked at the congregation. Feeling a cough coming he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and coughed into it, seeing blood as he stuffed it away, saying apologetically, "Sorry about that, feeling a bit under the weather…" and so he told some of his fondest, non Plumber related, memories of her, "I met Julie after a soccer match, man I fumbled that. But it wasn't until after her tennis match that I asked her out, with some help from my cousin," he chuckled a little, "okay I lied; I was a bloody coward, my cousin made me ask her out. I made a complete fool of myself but she said yes…" he soon stepped down and left, stopping by the GTO for the syringes. He turned Big Chill and left. He didn't know where exactly he was going, it just couldn't be in Bellwood. And so Ben 10, savior of the Earth and of the universe itself, disappeared…

_**FIFTEN YEARS LATER; ABANDONED WAREHOUSE, SOMEWHERE USA.**_

The portal ripped open; he shielded his eyes against the intense light.

"Go away Paradox," the dirty, scruffy creature slurred. The man from the portal, Paradox, clucked, "Benjamin Tennyson, what has happened to you?"

"You know what happened you double backstabbing bastard!" he roared angrily, "You were there! You could have saved her; you could have reversed it! YOU FORESAW IT AND YOU DID NOT WARN ME!!"

Paradox raised his hand to silence the insolent mortal, "Benjamin you needed to live such as you have to understand the full significance and fragility of human life such as it is. I have come to free you from this hell if you so wish it. Be warned that for Ms. Yamamoto's life two will die."

"You can't expect me to be that selfish." Ben spoke, staggering to his feet as he leant against a wall for support, "That is despicable… But I need to see her again; I need a do-over."

"Very well Ben," Paradox nodded, "I can give you only one chance, fail and repeat the mistakes of the past and this future will be cemented into reality." A portal opened and the immortal man held out his hand, "Come Ben, I shall return you to your fifteen year old form, the morning of that night. Your comrades will not remember, only you shall."

Ben nodded, taking the man's hand and walking into the time tunnel…


	3. Chapter 3

Ch 3

_**BRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG!**_

He shot up from his bed and instantly looked around. The clock read seven am and the calendar said 2010. His hands went to his face; he was clean shaven, he rolled up his sleeves and found no tract marks.

His cell phone rang, making him jump before picking up and flipping it open. His heart gave a jolt, the screen read: Julie. His hands and voice was shaking as he answered, "Julie? That really you?"

Her voice laughed, "Of course dummy, who else would it be?"

A million truthful replies raced through his mind as he choked back a sob of joy. Instead he said, "Julie, are you at your house?"

"No, we agreed to meet the other two at Mr. Smoothy's remember?"

"Y-yeah," he said as it came back to him, it was so long ago for him, "Julie, stay on the phone, I'm heading over there right now okay. Just don't move…"

"Ben, is everything alright? You sound like you're crying."

"I'm… not fine," he admitted, "but I will be…just stay on the phone with me and don't move an inch…unless you see an alien you don't recognize then I need you to run like hell, run like hell and don't look back. Understand me? I'll explain when I get there, though you'll think I'm mad." he pinned phone between his shoulder and ear as he shrugged into his jacket. She blabbered on about nothing in particular at his request, just so he could hear her voice. God how he missed her.

He hugged his mother extra tightly before dialing Jet-ray into the Omnitrix. This alien was the fastest he had unlocked in this time. He was coming in on her position in mere seconds and he landed, changing back before embracing her so tightly she couldn't breathe. He rained brief kisses down upon her before kissing her passionately.

They broke apart, "What's up with you?" she asked breathlessly, "You've never kissed me like that before."

He leant his forehead against her, whispering, "I've lived a decade and a half without you."

She searched his eyes, her face becoming horrified, "You're not joking are you?"

"I wish I was. Fifteen years; I can remember it because I have an innate understanding of the space/time continuum. You…you die tonight in the future I came back from. I can't lose you again Julie; I don't think I could survive as long as I did a second time." he blinked away tears, before staring into her eyes, "Please, I want you to stay away, far away, from the battle tonight. For your life, I've traded two others…"

"Ben, I can't lose you either."

He smiled, for the first time in years, "You won't I promise, I may not come back in one piece but I will always come back, alive, to you."

"You better or I'll never forgive you…"

He laughed before smiling again, "C'mon, I promised you something and we never got around to doing it." He began fiddling with the watch. He turned it counterclockwise three times, clockwise three times and then he pressed his thumb to the face.

"Master Control Combination for Benjamin Tennyson, HUMAN, accepted." a male voice rang out from it.

"This one's called Heatblast," he told her as she stared at the small holographic image that stood on the watch's face, "he's like a living roman candle. I won't burn you." He transformed and burnt away a section of concrete to create a platform for them to stand on.

He held out his hand, arching an eyebrow, "You know I'd never hurt you Julie. I know instinct says fire burns and that you shouldn't touch it, but trust me."

She nodded, taking his hand. He pulled her onto the island he created and close to his fiery form. She, still half expecting to receive third degree burns no matter what he said, was pleasantly surprised that he in fact radiated the kind of warmth that you might be infused with by a hug.

He powered up, surrounding the slab with flames as they took off, "Next stop, the Canadian tundra, a foot into the Arctic circle. Home of the Aurora Borealis." he breathed in her ear.

She looked down to see the ground retreating until the people and vehicles looked like ants and houses and buildings their hills. His arms were secured about her waist, anchoring her to their mount. "How fast are we going?" she asked with interest. He laughed, "Ever the student I see; we're nearing the speed of sound, we should break it right about now…" there was a large sonic boom and then he continued, "Your body is now withstanding over six Gs maybe even seven."

"How?" she asked, "I should be being ripped apart by such forces."

"You're with me;" he replied simply, "Heatblast is creating an electro-magnetic force field around us so we can withstand the forces."

She shivered, not from a chill, no in the following silence she was able to dwell on that A) she was technically dating a 30 year old, even if he was trapped in a 15 year old's body B) In the future he returned from, and was trying to prevent, she died tonight and C) two people would have to die in her place.

"You okay Julie?" he asked anxiously, "Are we too high for you? Is the air too thin?"

He sounded like a nervous wreck waiting to happen and without waiting for her reply he started their descent. She shivered once more, making him panic, "Are you cold? Do you need my jacket?"

He made them land and, changing back to his human form, he shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around her. She turned to him, "Ben, I'm fine; I promise."

"Then why did you shiver?"" he asked with heartwarming and heartbreaking concern.

"Just thinking…"

"About?"

"Everything that you've told me this morning…"

"I've told you, I won't let that happen again."

"But two people will die to save me…!"

"Ah…" he hung his head, "it was an easy choice for me to make, a selfish choice, but an easy one. I'm not proud of it, the drug probably made me insane for a while there—"

"Drugs? You did drugs?" she asked, completely stunned.

"After you died, I stayed clean until a month afterwards. I was fighting a drug supplier, VENOM is the drug the worst drug in the galaxy; anyways he shot me up, I think he was trying to overdose me…and it was a miracle, I felt so good. The best I felt since your death; I was hooked, so I arrested the supplier and handed him over into Gwen's custody; once she left with him I gathered the VENOM and hid it away for my own personal use…but I'm clean now, this body isn't hooked and my mind is adjusting to the fact that you're alive so the psychological reasons for my addiction is no longer here."

"Were you high at my funeral?" she asked. He shook his head, "No, I was sober. Longest I was sober since I started."

He looked around, pulling a gadget from his pocket, "Good to know he left me this," he muttered as he held it out and read the screen before putting it back in his pocket and messing with the watch again, saying, "We're about fifty miles from where we need to be and we got five hours in which to get there, this one is a giant wolf. When I turn I need you to climb onto my back and hold on tight."

He hit the watch and fell to his hands and knees, thick white fur erupted across his form as his hands and feet mutated into paws. His face elongated as his ears changed and migrated to the top of his head. His eyes went from green to hazel to amber in a matter of seconds as sharp pointy teeth sprouted along his jaws. Soon a giant white and silver wolf stood before her; he bent down to allow her to mount. She did so, gripping the tuft of hair and skin that covered his powerful, rippling shoulder muscles, before he lunged forward in vigorous bounding strides.

She hid her face in his fur, her knees clutching his sides in a vicious hold. It felt sort of magical really, to be charging over the wintery land that was sprinkled with small patches of greenery.

"Doing okay up there?" Ben asked, surprising her that he could in this form. She nodded against his back; "If you're tired Julie then take a nap, I'll wake you up when we get there."

"You sure?" she asked sleepily.

"Yeah, I won't let you fall or anything."

"I know that, I just worry about you carrying my…sleeping weight around for hours."

"Trust me, you weight about as much as an underfed four year-old to me." He started to rumble, his body vibrating; it soon lulled her into a sleep. Her arms and legs held to him tightly even in her sleep.

He was inevitably reminded of all those fairy-tales where the beast spirits away the beautiful young maiden, but he knew that for now it was for the best. He would find a barrow of some sort and get her comfortable before XLR8ing back for the battle.

He raised his head to scent the air, he smelt a cave nearby; his pupils became larger as night fell across the land, the Aurora Borealis dancing in the sky.

"Julie…Julie, wake up," he called gently, feeling her sit up, "It's started, you're gonna miss it. Look up."

"Oh…_**wow**_…" she gasped as they watched it.

"Better than the HD DVD you got for your birthday?"

"Much better, this is…this is _**amazing**_." She dismounted to stand beside him as he sat on his haunches.

"You do know that it's just a side effect of the sun's radiated molecules getting trapped within earth's electro-magnetic field at the northern axis, right?"

"Of course; how do you know?"

"When I got high I got strung out, couldn't sleep until I lost the high, so I read," he gave a bark that she took as a laugh, "I broke into a library whenever I could, that's irony for you."

"Sure is," she turned to him, "please go back to human."

"Julie, this body, in this time, isn't me." He whined, "This is who I _**was**_, not who I am _**now**_. Fifteen years is wearing on someone mentally. I've done things that this human body, your Ben would never have even contemplated…"

"Where's this Ben?' she asked with interest, "since you've come back and took over this body, where is 'my' Ben as you called him?"

"I don't know," he admitted, "I don't know how this'll work. I could be stuck in this body for the rest of my life or I could be spirited back to my proper time as soon as the battle's over and you're safe." He whined again, "Julie, if I'm…I mean my thirty year-old mind, if I'm stuck in this body, in this time…will you be okay with that? With me as I came back as?"

She shrugged, "Maybe… I dunno; we'll take it one day at a time, kay? It's the best for now…"

"You're right."

He scented the wind again, "C'mon, let's go getcha settled in."

"Settled in?" she asked, bemused.

"Yeah," he said as he bent down again to let her climb aboard, "there's a cave nearby; I'm gonna get you comfy in there and then go to take care of this Highbreed business once and for all." He began running east, leaping over felled trees.

"But we're in Canada! Isn't that a little too far from home?" she hunched over his blades.

"Oh right," he barked, "I can rip holes in space now; sorry should've remembered to tell you, I was able to unlock my own Anodite form and all its powers. I've never been an Anodite without VENOM though…DUCK!" her face hit his back as she bent to avoid the branches. The clearing they entered with so roofed by evergreen trees that the ground was clear of snow and frost, having fostered rich green grass instead. It was also comfortably warm in this natural house and there were bushes of edible berries.

"Think you'll be okay here for awhile?" he asked.

She nodded, "Yeah, I'll be fine. I can start a fire…wish I'd known so I could've brought my sleeping bag…"

"No worries; get off." She did as told and watched as a vibration seemed to run the length of his form before his hide sloughed itself off, exposing the muscles, tendons, cartilage, and bones beneath.

"Oh my god! BEN! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" she panicked, but then there was a flash of green and Heatblast stood in his place, "I'm fine and now you got a wolf pelt blanket…now for the camp fire…" Swampfire took Heatblast's place and began breaking small boughs from the trees and set them ablaze in front of the small cave, once he was sure it was not occupied by an animal.

He then turned once again, this time into an Anodite. His body was more muscular than Verdona's, though not bulky muscular and he was still thin, and he was a deep navy blue with almost black eyes and Blue Jay blue hair-tentacles. On his chest though was the emerald Omnitrix symbol.

"You sure you'll be okay here?" he asked once more. This alien's voice echoed and he floated about the foot off the ground, his toes pointed downwards. He seemed to think for a second before waving his right hand. The clearing's boundaries glowed briefly before going back to normal.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just hurry back okay?"

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

He moved his hand through the air like he was unzipping a giant invisible zipper and the portal opened, he waved goodbye before stepping into it. It zipped itself back up.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch 4

They were outnumbered and losing badly at the time he arrived into the battle.

"Stay back guys!" he boomed, summoning a ball of manna the size of a small golf cart to his hands. They dived out of the way as he began bowling, using his opponents as the pins. Rage was unleashed as he made a manna katana in his grasp.

He landed and raced forward, slashing fiercely at his enemy.

"BEN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he heard Gwen call.

"I WAS WRONG!" he called back, "JUST KILL THEM! MAKE IT QUICK AND PAINLESS BUT KILL THEM!"

"YOU HEARD THE GUY!" Kevin shouted almost gleefully, breaking two DNAlien necks at the same time.

Gwen sighed and summoned a dual bladed staff, stabbing an enemy in the gut before slamming it back into another's. Ben somersaulted through the air, slicing through the necks within his reach. Greenish bluish reddish blood spurted as bodies fell.

"WHERE ARE THE OTHERS?" he called; the first time he fought this battle they numbered at least in the twenties.

"BLOODY COWARDS DIDN'T SHOW!" Kevin replied, shattering skulls against each other.

"PARADOX CAME AND TOLD US WE'RE ON OUR OWN!" Gwen added, having changed from a dual bladed staff to a manna bow and exploding arrows.

He summoned twin daggers and began gutting the enemy as they circled him.

"You bastards," he whispered, "you destroyed my life once and now I'll make sure your stupid species is driven to extinction, hell I'll do the driving myself!"

The feel of their flesh giving way under his blades delighted him, excited him, aroused him like nothing in his thirty something years of life had before. And the fact that he was doing it to protect the woman he loved made it all the sweeter.

He arched an eyebrow at the aliens that ringed him, swiftly pulling his blades from their comrades, "Who's next to coat this ground with their blood?" he grinned as they swarmed over those he already dispatched. This was way too much _**fun**_. He now understood why Kevin walked the line.

But Ben could never do that all the time.

He spun, killing his victims with a long sword though he allowed the last to suffer.

"Be not ashamed of your death," he told the DNAlien, twisting the dagger in its' gut, "you've fought well but I fought better. Now tell me where your commanders are!"

"I…shall…not," the creature rasped, "this…planet…shall…be…cleansed of its' pestilence."

"You're a pathetic excuse for a minion," Ben growled, "Do you really believe for a second that after you guys do all the dirty work they'll let you live?" He barked laughter, "You stupid little creature. I release you to death now." He ended the alien's life. He stood up and looked to see Gwen and Kevin staring at him.

"C'mon," he called, "I know where to find the Highbreed."

----

He led them further into La Soladad, "Keep sharp guys." They crouched behind a piece of rubble. He saw the oscillator key and, taking the risk, made it explode with his mind.

"What?" he whispered to his comrades, "I'll explain it all later…Shhhh!"

A Highbreed came by and Ben silently signaled to attack. "You two go left, I go right." He mouthed. They nodded. "One…two… _**three**_!"

He summoned his dagger and pushed it through the monster's heart before decapitating it. He saw Gwen break another's neck in a fist of manna while Kevin snapped a third's. He summoned fists of manna to snap two necks, then two more as they rushed him.

"This's too easy," he muttered. But it was soon over with. No more enemies to fight, no more parasites to destroy, no more jumpgate to worry about; they had won!

He saw the other two home before atom bombing La Soladad; he contained and neutralized the radiation in a protective barrier, and heading back to Julie.

He found her cocooned in his pelt, the fire still roaring. She was sleeping peacefully, breath even.

A portal opened behind him and he spun, daggers already summoned to his hands. He found Paradox.

"You come to take me back?"

Paradox sighed, "Benjamin, I'm sorry. The body you inhabited did not survive the translation into your new future. Your mind is stuck in this body."

"It's alright. Thank you Paradox."

"No, thank you Benjamin."

The time traveler left.

Ben, still in Anodite form, knelt before Julie, laying a hand on her shoulder and beginning to shake her awake, "Jule, Julie wake up. It's over, it's all over. We won."

She blinked, waking up, "Ben, you're back."

He chuckled, "Course I am. I told you I would be. You wanna go home?"

She yawned, "Do we have to? I just got comfortable."

"Nah, your parents think you're over at my place for the night." He settled against the wall, turning to the wolf-alien who had re-grown his skin, "Go back to sleep, I'll keep guard."

"You should rest too…"

"No, I need to keep you safe. I'll be fine."

"Nothing will happen to me."

"I just can't take that chance."

She curled up to his side, "You shielded this place before you left, it'll hold 'til morning. Just rest Ben; I'll be fine I swear it."

He yawned, showing off rows of pearly white capable of tearing off her arm in a single twist and a scarlet tongue that lolled out of his mouth, as he blinked wearily, "Fine, I'll rest. Not sleep, but doze. Happy?"

She nodded against his shoulder, "Yes, very."

And so, without a thought as to what the now bright future might hold, our hero and the woman he loved bedded down for a night of well deserved rest and peace in a remote comfortable clearing in Canada.

The End

_**Question for Reviewers: Should I make a sequel detailing Ben's new life as a 30-something year old trapped in a 15 year old's life and body?**_


End file.
